MILWAUKEE (AP) — Willy Adames and Gary Sánchez hit back-to-back homers in the first inning, William Contreras later added a two-run shot and the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Colorado Rockies 5-2 on Saturday night.
Rookie right-hander Tobias Myers (7-5) recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts over six innings to help Milwaukee avoid a fourth consecutive loss. The NL Central-leading Brewers are the only major league team without a losing streak of at least four games this season.
Myers explained after the game why the Brewers have managed to avoid prolonged slumps.
“We just never give up,” Myers said. “I think even when we lose a game, we always have the tying run at the plate, we always have a chance. We just always believe in each other and just fight until the end, for sure.”
Ryan McMahon and Sam Hilliard homered for the Rockies.
Adames put Milwaukee ahead for good with his two-out homer off Ty Blach (3-8) in the first inning. The homer was the 30th of the season for Adames, who also has 101 RBIs. Adames entered Saturday tied with Los Angeles’ Shohei Ohtani for the NL lead in RBIs.
Adames is the first Brewers shortstop ever to have a 30-homer, 100-RBI season. Hall of Fame shortstop Robin Yount, who spent his entire career in Milwaukee and owns many of the franchise’s hitting records, never homered more than 29 times in a single season.
Sánchez followed Adames’ homer by delivering a 418-foot shot to left center for his 10th homer of the year. Milwaukee nearly ended up hitting three straight homers, as Rhys Hoskins hit an inning-ending fly ball that center fielder Brenton Doyle caught on the warning track.
Contreras extended the lead to 4-0 in the third when he broke out of an 0 for 20 slump with his two-run shot to right-center. Joey Ortiz added an RBI double down the left-field corner in the fifth.
Those big hits provided more than enough support for Myers, who gave up just one run, four hits and one walk. The only run Myers allowed came on McMahon’s leadoff homer in the fourth.
“The kid is relentless,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said of Myers. “He’s taking it all in. I think he’ll continue to do that. I just told (president of baseball operations) Matt Arnold back there, I said, ‘I think you’ve got a good one.’ I really do. They signed this guy for a reason.”
Hilliard added a solo shot off Jared Koenig with two outs in the eighth. Devin Williams struck out the side in the ninth for his ninth save in 10 opportunities.
Blach gave up five runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out one and walked nobody.
INJURY REPORT
After making a diving catch to rob Sal Frelick of an extra-base hit in the second inning, Doyle left the game in the bottom of the fifth.
“His left hand suffered a little bit of an impact,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “It started swelling up a little bit. It affected his ability to grip the bat.”
Before the game, Black conceded the possibility that OF/1B Kris Bryant might not return this season. Bryant, who is dealing with a back strain, has appeared in only 37 games this season and last played on Aug. 10.
“You know in the NFL, you’ve got probable, questionable and doubtful,” Black said. “I’m going to say it’s questionable, but we’re running out of time.”
UP NEXT
LHP Kyle Freeland (4-7, 5.30 ERA) starts for the Rockies and RHP Freddy Peralta (10-7, 3.75) pitches for the Brewers when this three-game series concludes Sunday.
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